Reduced Honeybee Pollen Foraging under Neonicotinoid Exposure: Exploring Reproducible Individual and Colony Level Effects in the Field Using AI and Simulation.

ABSTRACT: Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are important pollinators. Their foraging behaviors are essential to colony sustainability. Sublethal exposure to pesticides such as neonicotinoids can significantly disrupt these behaviors, in particular pollen foraging. We investigated the effects of sublethal doses of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid on honeybee foraging, at both individual and colony levels, by integrating field experiments with artificial intelligence (AI)-based monitoring technology and mechanistic simulations using the BEEHAVE model. Our results replicated previous findings, which showed that imidacloprid selectively reduces pollen foraging at the colony level, with minimal impact on nectar foraging. Individually marked exposed honeybees exhibited prolonged pollen foraging trips, redu

SUBMITTER: Wang M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11924214 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature